


The Bread

by pagingdoctordevorak



Category: The Arcana (Visual Novel)
Genre: F/M, Fan Apprentice - Freeform, Fluff, Post-Devil, Post-Plague
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-20
Updated: 2018-12-20
Packaged: 2019-09-23 15:23:58
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 808
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17082857
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/pagingdoctordevorak/pseuds/pagingdoctordevorak
Summary: Eve decides to bake a little something to welcome Julian home from his trip to the palace.





	The Bread

**Author's Note:**

> This is based on a prompt from solkorolevya on tumblr:
> 
> “Can I request one (1) disaster man and a female apprentice (my gal is named Eve) with like, the sugariest domestic fluff and smooches ever please and thank you, you kind soul”
> 
> I took the liberty of setting it after the events of the game (even though it’s not finished yet) (please let Julian and the apprentice Chill™ omg)
> 
> Enjoy!

Eve sighed and brushed her hand across the flour-soaked counter to make room for the dough. She threw it down and kneaded, the heels of her hands digging into the soft, sticky mass in a gentle rhythm. As she rolled it, it became easier to handle, and she tossed it around, smacked it, and tucked it into itself.

There was a lot riding on this would-be loaf. It was the first thing Julian would smell as he walked through the door of the shop, enveloping him in warmth and safety, just as her welcome home hug would. He’d been away at the palace for a few days tending to some guards who fell ill after a celebratory feast of undercooked fish.  _ Nadia _ had even come down with food poisoning, and Eve couldn’t even imagine what the Countess looked like when she was sick. She giggled to herself at the thought. Somehow she knew she was still pretty. 

Eve had even bought a new pan just for this. It was shaped to give the bread wavy ridges on top, which reminded her of Julian’s cute mass of auburn hair. She could picture his sweet smile as she greeted him. His hooded eyes would crinkle in delight, the right one obstructed by his curls, of course. His nose would scrunch just enough to make her chest warm. Those pretty teeth would shine before he showered her in kisses.

Eve realized she’d stopped kneading in favor of her daydream, and she shook herself out of it with a smile. She gave the dough one final round of abuse before squishing it into the pan. Now she could leave it to the brick oven and take a moment to herself.

She hadn’t baked anything in a while, as she’d been dealing with everything at the palace. It was one of the craziest things that had ever happened to her—actually, it  _ was _ the craziest thing. But she wouldn’t have done anything differently, as she was reunited with old friends who she didn’t even know had been missing in her life.

_Especially_ the beautifully roguish plague doctor she’d come to love.

Truth be told, once it was all over, she and Julian walked home to the shop and collapsed in her bed for a day and a half. Then, it was just a week of recuperating by lounging around, with a few visits from some patrons who’d heard the news and wanted to help—their generosity extending to bringing soups and casseroles and wine to the shop for her.

The journey still weighed on her shoulders, she realized, when the door latch clicked, and she perked up from a spontaneous nap at the kitchen table. 

_ Julian _ .

She tossed her floury apron onto the counter, dusted herself off, and stumbled into the front of the shop just in time for the door to open. The good doctor ducked under the archway and grinned at her, just the way she imagined he would.

“I swear, the palace would be in shambles without me,” he boasted and closed the door as he hung his overcoat next to it. Eve threw herself at him, and his strong arms squeezed her to his chest.

“I missed you.”

“It’s only been a few days, my dear.” His blush crawled across his cheeks and up to his ears. “Surely, my absence wasn’t that harrowing,” he muttered into her hair. He’d come a long way since they met, yet he still had twinges of self-doubt that tugged at her heart.

“We’ve been with each other every day for the past two weeks, and you think I wouldn’t notice how lonely it is without you here?”

Julian huffed out an embarrassed laugh before cupping her face in his gloved hands. He leaned down to press millions of kisses to Eve’s cheeks, nose, forehead, and lips.

“Better?”

“Better.”

They giggled together as he swept her up into another hug. Her whole body tingled with happiness. He was incredible. 

As he set her down, Eve was still in awe of his lovely grey eyes. They sparkled in the low lamplight of the shop. It was one of her favorite things about him.

Julian breathed in deep to relax himself, but his brow furrowed for a moment.

“Is something burning?”

“The  _ bread! _ ” Eve cried, ripping herself away from him and running into the kitchen. Julian laughed as he rushed in behind her.

The dough had turned completely black, and Eve dropped the pan onto the counter in defeat. Julian opened the back door and waved a loose pamphlet around to get the smoke out.

“Oh, that’s grim, love.”

“I thought it would be a good welcome gift.”

“It’s alright,” he laughed and tossed the pamphlet to the side in favor of pulling her into a dip. “There’s something much sweeter I’d like to enjoy, anyway.”

**Author's Note:**

> If you like what I do, consider [buying me a coffee!](https://ko-fi.com/beebee97)


End file.
